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Prince and Prime Minister will attend 65th D-Day anniversary
Peter Allen19.05.09
Prince Charles will accompany Prime Minister Gordon Brown to this year's 65th anniversary D-Day commemorations in France.
The move follows outrage at an initial snub of British veterans. Now the pair are following the example of President Barack Obama, who accepted an invitation two months ago.
Following previous major commemorations, British officials had decided not to officially mark D-Day again until its centenary. But after a change of heart the Prince of Wales and Mr Brown will travel to Caen on 5 June — when Allied airborne troops landed on French soil before the full-scale seaborne invasion the next day — for a ceremony at the Normandy Memorial Museum.
Germany is sending a delegation to remember the fallen on both sides and both Downing Street and the Palace admitted they had misjudged the public mood. Philippe Duron, the city's deputy mayor, confirmed that Mr Brown and the Prince would lay wreaths at the British Memorial Garden, which pays tribute to the 15 Allied divisions which fought in Normandy. Both are also expected to also take part in formal parades and other commemorations on 6 June.
A senior French organiser of the commemorations said today: “At first the British got it hopelessly wrong. “The fact that Britain is now sending the future King and Prime Minister shows how seriously they are now taking it all. This is a very welcome change in attitude.”
National Lottery chiefs will be repeating the “Heroes Return” programme which paid for 39,000 British veterans to revisit foreign battlefields to mark the 60th anniversary celebrations.
Reader views (8)
What a total mess up our Government has made again. The Queen even served in the Forces during the war and should have been at the top of the invites. And also what an insult of the French to say it’s a French American event. I am going next week to Normandy on a trip I have been planing for over a year. Typical of the Government to make last ditch arrangements. Thank God they were not in government 70 years ago.
- Chris Rollestone, Leicester
Why did I know that as soon as Brown's new best friend would be attending so would he in spite of the rule that we don't do 60 year celebrations. The UK is still the puppet on a string.
- Dave, London
It just begs the question - who on earth makes these decisions on behalf of the nation? This government is hopelessly incompetant and hopelessly unrepresentative at every level...
- Simon, London
Gormless Brown continues to grossly underestimate Joe Public.
I am today filing a Freedom of Information request seeking details of ALL Lords' expenses since 2005.
Brown is a devious hypocrite of the first order.
- Reuben Camara, Morecambe UK
I went to the Duxford Airbourne Division with my Grandad, who is a WWII ex-para. On the wall next to the citations for VCs and George Crosses is a big picture of Charlie Boy. If he wants to wear those uniforms he should want to turn up out of respect for those that died in them. He shouldn't try and guage public mood and then decide. As for Brown, he'll do whatever Obama does.
- Alex C, London
Whats Mummy going to think? Charles mixing with the leader of a band of thieves?
- David Crocket, Bradford, UK
"Downing Street ... had misjudged the public mood". Yes this is certainly the one thing they appear to excel at!
- Marianne, SW France/London
"A change in attitude" forced upon them by the court of public opinion.
- R.F., Yorks, UK
